Jazz Colony #5 - August 5

Things are heading in the right direction. The windshield on our road trip is getting a bit foggy. Lots of smoke this week due to Spokane area fires. 

Here's the opening concert solos :)

https://youtu.be/y5t52Pp_I4I?si=PENgNQE5i5QhtOFH

Today we really need to focus on the bridge to Stompin at the Savoy! That is where we are having the most trouble with the improvisation. 

To start, let’s loop the bridge over and over again, repetition is the mother of learning, repetition is the mother of learning. Let’s try various patterns to get familiar with the chord patterns and voice leading. Start with 1 2 3 5, a common phrase used a lot by Coltrane, then once that is comfortable you can do the normal arpeggiating of the chords, 1 3 5 7.

Now everyone simultaneously solo at once, help yourself get familiar with the shapes. The point of this isn’t to necessarily get all the cool vocabulary straight away, but to understand the foundation of soloing and build muscle memory. 

If you’re having trouble with making a memorable solo, or getting started with soloing at all, limit yourself to just 2-3 notes. It takes away the mental pressure of having to hit every chord change, and instead just focus on the clarity of your rhythmic ideas.

Drum notes

• going back to the start of colony, what are some things we need to remind ourselves? 
• Keep that left hand flat! But no resting on our lap. We want to have room for all dynamics.
• Watch your right hand on the cymbals, play in the center where you can get the most clarity.
• Another thing to think about is your bass drum. In jazz, try not to dig the beater into the bass drum head, often times jazz bass drums are resonant, so digging will eliminate that pitch and resonance. Digging is fine when playing a punk/rock kit, but consider the other when you have to consider tone of the drum.

- Max Bartron